Dreaming of Moshiach

Monday, August 20, 2007

Simplest Actions Rewarded

The Vilna Gaon's wife, a'h, and a close friend used to go door to door collecting tzedakah (charity) for poor families in Vilna, Lithuania. The two women made a solemn pact that whoever passed away first would come back in a dream and tell the other one what awaited her.

As it happened, the other woman passed away first. Some time later, she appeared to the Vilna Gaon's wife in a dream and said, "I'm not allowed to tell you what goes on in Heaven, but because of our pact, I have been allowed to reveal one thing to you.

"Do you remember the time the two of us went to collect tzedakah from a particular woman and did not find her at home? We went on to our other stops and later we saw that woman coming toward us on the other side of the street. You remarked that she was coming and lifted your finger to point her out to me, and we crossed the street and asked her for a contribution. Do you remember that?

"Know that the money we collected from that woman is recorded in both our names, since we both had a part in that mitzvah. Every step each of us took on our way to get her contribution is recorded equally for the two of us. But in addition to that, there is recorded in your ledger alone the fact that you raised your hand and pointed a finger to call my attention to her. Even that small gesture has not been overlooked and is greatly rewarded."
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A bad-natured miser who was notorious for his stinginess died. The Heavenly Tribunal immediately wished to condemn him for his evil ways. However, suddenly an angel arrived on the scene and presented the small mitzvah of tzedakah that the man had once carried out, and declared that in the merit of this good deed he would not be sent to Gehenom (purgatory).
This created a turmoil up in Heaven. The majority of angels grouped together to attempt to penalize the person. But what of the few cents that he had given to the beggar? It could not be denied that he did have this merit.

Ultimately it was decided that since this man's evil deeds outweighed his good ones, he would be given back his fifty cents and then sent to Gehenom. However, they searched and searched but could not find fifty cents in Heaven.

A mitzvah protects a person and the merit it produces is invincible.

For more inspirational stories, http://www.innernet.org.il/catagories.php?pid=11

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והיה השם למלך על כל הארץ, ביום ההוא יהיה השם אחד - ושמו אחד ישתבח שמו לעד לנצח נצחים בכל העולמות Blessed is His name for eternity in all worlds אין עוד מלבדו